Self-cleaning rotary harrow.



D. A. HBLMIGH. SELF GLE'ANING 11011111111 11111110111'.

l APPLIUATION FILED 20110126, 1911.4

patented 111011.19, 1912.

i Url111IH A- y Q' fp? 11 |11 11 11 11 11 11 D.' Alv HELMIGH. SELF CLEANING ROTARYHARROW.

APPLICATION ILED DBO. 26, 19111.y '11.,045,024.4

Patented Nov. 19, 19-12.

. 2 EERSTE-SHEET 2.

@Heaney NETEv SALES' r FRED DANIEL A. HELMICH, OF BIRMINGHAM, ALABAMA.

SELF-CLEANING- ROTRY HARROW.

Specification of LettersfPatent.

Patented Nov.. ia, wie.

Application filed December 2 6, 1911. Serial No. 67,859.

5 State ofV Alabama, have invented new and useful Improvements in' Self-Cleaning Rotary Harrows, of which the following is a specieation.

My invention relates to harrows o f the rotary blade type, and the main object of my invention is to provide a harrow', which vwill be self-cleaning so that it will not be-y come clogged when working in damp or -wet soil. y

The ordinary rotary harrows having a single shaft are objectionable because they are liable to become clogged and become.

practically -nothing more than rollers. Again, multiple Vshafts are objectionable because, if of suflicient weight, they cannot be turned at the end of a row. In single shaft rotary harrows it is necessary to place the cutters or disks close together, about two inches apart, so that 'they easily become clogged or choked. It has been proposed to use Scrapers, such as rods, scraping blades, or loose rings which scrape against the sides of the disks or blades, but those are too rigid, causing a large' amount 'of friction, and cannot adaptthemselves to the varying f conditions to which the harrow is subjected.v My present invention obviates the difficulties heretofore' experienced, and provides a self-cleaning rotary harrow in which the cleaning devices are suliiciently' flexible or yielding, and reduce the friction to a minimum, whileat the same time effectually preventing the blades from becoming choked. F or this purpose, I employ a series of chains which pass between the several blades and rest`upon the spacers or spacingdisks and are allowed to hang somewhat loosely thereover in order to. minimize friction'.- f

r[his invention will be understood from the following description, in connection with the accompanying drawings, in whichl. Figure 1 illustrates atop plan view of a 5 rotary barrow embodying my invention;

Fi s avertical cross-section on the line Hail-Hbf Figi 1; Vand Fi 3 is arlongitudinal section on the line IIIe-III of Fig. 1.

' The frameor body 2 isof the ordinary construction and is providedas usual., with @seat-'post and seat 4 at the rear.. -,The

side frame-bars carry `journal boxes 6, for the shaft 8, upon Awhich are mounted the `circular blades or cutters 1'0, separated by the 'spacers or spacing-disks 12, which are preferably grooved to form seats'or guides or the cleaning chains 14. By referring to v Fig. 3, it will be observed that thechains :pass loosely over the disks and lare held at eitherend by means of hooks 15,- so that they may be readily'nnfastened in case itr should become necessary, as, for instance, when there 1s unusual clogging by'reason lof rocks or other'unyieldng substances whichl may become wedged between adjacent disks.

These chains, however, are especially ad vantageous when-,the ground is damp, as

they eifectually'remove the wet; sticky earthi which continually clings to .the cutters or blades and is carried up between them.

In order that the frame 2 may be tilted to different vert-ical angles, I provide the for- Award end of the draft-beam 18, with a clevis 19, having a series of loops or corrugations by which the ring 20, of the swingletree 21, may be raised or lowered into .dili'erent ad'usted positions. When the ring 20 is in the' lowest corrugation or socket, the forwardend of the frame will be elevated and the rear end will be lowered so that the rear .hang loosely over the shaft, the friction is reduced to a minimum. Moreover, this construction allows the disks to be ylaced quite close together, at a distance o about two inchesapart. While this machine is intended mainly as a ha-rrow, yet it will be obvious to those familiauwith the farming of corn and cotton, that it may also `be used -for cutting corn and cotton stalks and the like.

I have described in detail the construction illustrated inthe accompanying drawings,

'for the purpose of disclosing an embodiment of my invention, but 1 am aware 4that cross-beam 2b will drag upon the ground across said shaft between adjacentb ades. i

2. A self-cleaning harrow, comprising` a frame', aishaft mounted therein,l a series of sgaced cutters or blades carried by said s aft,- and a series of chains detacha 1y secured at 'their opposite 'ends to the' frame and.passing across said shaft between adjacent blades. l

3. A self-cleaning barrow,comprising a frame, a shaft mounted'ktherein, a series of spaced cutters or blades carried lby l said shaft, a series of chains secured at their opposite ends to the frame and passing ...ross said shaft between adjacent blades, and avertically adjustable draft-device.

4. Av self-cleaning harrow, comprising a frame, a' shaft mounted therein, a series of 25 cutters. or blades carried by said shaft, grooved spacing-disks alternately arranged with said blades upon said shaft, and a series of chains secured' at opposite ends to the frame and passing across saidf'shaft be- 30 tween adjacent blades, said chains being intermediately supported within the grooves` of said spacing-disks.

lIn testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand in presence of two subscribing 35 witnesses.

DANIEL A. HELMICH. Witnesses:

P.I H. HARRIS, R. B. 'I finrraiin` i Copies of this patent may be: obtained for live cents each, by addressingthe Commissioner of Patents,

Washington, D. G. 

